IRAN launched drones in a retaliatory attack on Israel last night.
Iran was responding to an Israeli attack on their embassy in Damascus earlier this month in which a senior military leader was killed.
Israeli defences, with the support of US allies, intercepted ‘hundreds’ of missiles in last night’s attack and it’s understood there are few casualties
Words from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the Iranian regime’s attack against Israel:
“I condemn in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel. These strikes risk inflaming tensions and destabilising the region.
“Iran has once again demonstrated that it is intent on sowing chaos in its own backyard.
“The UK will continue to stand up for Israel’s security and that of all our regional partners, including Jordan and Iraq.
“Alongside our allies, we are urgently working to stabilise the situation and prevent further escalation. No one wants to see more bloodshed.”
UK Military Activity in the Middle East
Statement from UK’s Ministry of Defence
In response to increased Iranian threats and the growing risk of escalation in the Middle East, the UK Government has been working with partners across the region to encourage de-escalation and prevent further attacks.
We have moved several additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers to the region. These will bolster Operation Shader, which is the UK’s existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq and Syria. In addition, these UK jets will intercept any airborne attacks within range of our existing missions, as required.
We will continue to cooperate closely with our regional partners in the interest of de-escalation.
Decline in the number of specialist ASN teachers by 392 since 2013
Near doubling in the number of pupils with additional support needs since 2013
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has called for greater resourcing to support those with additional support needs (ASN).
The call comes as new figures from the Scottish Government’s annual teacher census indicate that while the number of specialist ASN teachers has fallen to 2,898 in 2023, the number of those pupils with ASN has soared to a record high.
Between 2013 and 2023 the number of ASN teachers (publicly funded primary, secondary, special and centrally employed) has fallen from 3,290 to 2,898, a decrease of 392 teachers, representing a cut of 11.9 per cent.1
This fall is against the background of an increase of 96.8 per cent increase between 2013 and 2023 in the number of pupils identified with ASN, from 131,593 to 259,036, amounting to 123,628 individuals. This includes those with mental health problems, learning disability, autism and dyslexia, and currentlyrepresents more than a third of all pupils (36.7 per cent).2
In 2013, while each ASN teacher was supporting 40 pupils with ASN, by 2023 this figure had risen to each teacher supporting 89 such pupils.
Against a background of spending cuts and reduction in specialist support, the SCSC has called for greater resourcing from both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that those with ASN, who are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods, are getting the care and support that they need.
The coalition has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of a presumption of mainstreaming, meaning that all pupils are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, without the necessary support.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need. This is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.
“With cuts in support, including in the number of specialist teachers, it is going to be extremely challenging to reduce the current inequalities faced by those with ASN.
“While we also support the presumption of mainstreaming, which means that all children and young people are educated in a mainstream educational environment unless exceptional circumstances apply, it is clearly difficult to see how this is functioning properly given the fall in specialist support and increase in the number of those with ASN.
“The Scottish Government and local authorities need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing to address the needs of those children and young people with ASN, who represent some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. “
However, they highlight a number of concerns in their report and say their support remains conditional on the Scottish Government addressing these concerns and agreeing to facilitate significant further scrutiny of the Bill at Stage 2, ahead of formal Stage 2 proceedings.
A majority of the Committee say they recognise the need for wide-ranging reform of social care; to address existing inconsistencies in access and delivery across local authorities, address ongoing workforce challenges, improve commissioning and procurement, and most importantly, improve outcomes for those in receipt of social care.
However, the Committee’s detailed 183-page Stage 1 report highlights a series of concerns with the proposals and the process, and calls on the Scottish Government to take a number of actions ahead of stage 2.
Committee concerns include the Scottish Government’s inability to articulate and communicate a model of how the proposed National Care Service would operate. The Committee say they are looking forward to receiving further detail from the Scottish Government on this ahead of the Stage 1 debate next week.
Following the Scottish Government’s announcements that they plan to revise the original proposals, and the partnership agreement reached between the Scottish Government, local government and the NHS in summer 2023, the Committee say they are seeking further details of amendments which the Scottish Government intends to bring forward to clarify its revised proposals.
The Committee say they understand that this is a ‘framework Bill’ but describe the lack of detail at this stage on what that framework will look like as concerning, arguing that this has limited the Committee’s ability to scrutinise the proposals effectively.
Prior to Stage 2, the Committee is calling on the Scottish Government to explore the possibility of establishing an expert legislative advisory group for the Bill to help guide the proposed co-design process.
Assurances are also sought that a full list of Stage 2 amendments will be made available to the Committee as soon as possible and well in advance of formal Stage 2 proceedings to allow for significant further scrutiny.
The Committee has also given due notice to the Scottish Government that it will require additional time to take further oral and written evidence from key stakeholders on the content of these amendments, prior to commencing the formal Stage 2 process.
In the report, the Committee concludes: ‘Subject to these conditions, the Committee recommends that the general principles of the Bill be agreed to.’
Speaking on the publication of the report, Clare Haughey MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said:“A majority of our Committee welcomes the intentions underlying the Scottish Government’s proposals for the creation of a National Care Service.
“Our Stage 1 scrutiny has undoubtedly been affected by changes to the original proposals, meaning we will have to reserve final judgement until we have had an opportunity to scrutinise the detail of those changes as part of a reinforced Stage 2 process.
“We welcome the Scottish Government taking on board the views and concerns of stakeholders and its plan to revise the original proposals, but it is essential details of these revised proposals are shared with the Committee in a timely manner and sufficient time is allowed for the Committee to undertake substantial further scrutiny ahead of formal Stage 2 proceedings.
“It is on this basis that that a majority of our committee has concluded that it recommends that the Parliament should agree to the general principles of the Bill.”
“We’d like to thank all who have engaged with us during this process. Their insight and knowledge have been invaluable in helping us to consider and scrutinise the Scottish Government’s proposals.”
members of the Health, Social Care & Sport Committee meet with Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland National Care Service Committee at Key in Glasgow. 05 December 2022. Pic-Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
Some of the other key conclusions in the report include:
While acknowledging the Scottish Government’s intention to utilise co-design as a key mechanism for developing the proposed National Care Service once the framework legislation is in place, the Committee has heard evidence from multiple stakeholders that there appears to be an ongoing lack of clarity regarding the definition, the precise scope and key areas of focus of codesign or the anticipated outcomes of the co-design process.
The Committee calls on the Scottish Government to acknowledge concerns from many stakeholders that the consensus agreement between it and COSLA and the way in which this was arrived at has undermined the confidence of many of those who have participated in co-design so far that their input is being taken seriously.
It remains unclear to the Committee at this stage whether the Scottish Government intends to transfer those powers currently conferred on Scottish Ministers under Chapter 4 to the newly proposed National Care Service Board. Nonetheless, the Committee’s report highlights widespread concerns it has heard during its scrutiny of the Bill regarding the nature and extent of those powers.
The Committee welcomes confirmation from the Scottish Government that, under the new consensus agreement with COSLA, local government will retain control of functions, staff and assets following concerns raised by multiple stakeholders.
The Committee believes that a single electronic health and care record is fundamental to the success of the proposed National Care Service and calls on the Scottish Government to complete this as a matter of urgency.
The Committee welcomes indications from the Scottish Government that, as a consequence of the consensus agreement with COSLA, rather than being transferred to Scottish Ministers, legal accountability for the proposed National Care Service will be shared between the Scottish Government and local government.
The Committee says the Scottish Government should mandate a review of the regulation-making powers of the Bill and of any regulations made using these powers, within 3 years of each of the corresponding provisions coming into effect.
The Committee welcomes the commitment to Anne’s Law and considers it should be fully implemented as soon as possible to ensure a human rights-based approach to care.
Members of the Health, Social Care & Sport Committee meet hold a committee meeting focusing on the National Care Service Bill in the Quarriers Centre, Govan, Glasgow. 05 December 2022. Pic-Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
For info:Dissent
Tess White MSP and Sandesh Gulhane MSP dissented from many of the recommendations in the report. More details of this dissent can be found in the report.
Paul Sweeney MSP and Carol Mochan MSP dissented from certain of the Committee’s concluding recommendations on the general principles of the Bill. More details of this dissent can be found in the report.
Alternative wording of a number of the report’s concluding recommendations on the general principles of the Bill were also proposed by certain Members of the Committee. These were all rejected in votes by a majority of Committee Members.
Local MSP slams ‘drastic and nonsensical cut in funding’
Funding award grants for voluntary sector organisations is invariably difficult – for cash-strapped councils there is never enough money available to meet ever-growing demands.
There are winners and losers, but the latest round of funding decisions has caused particular anguish for Leith’s Citadel Youth Centre, who have learned that their annual award will by slashed by a swingeing £125,000.
Citadel’s Willy Barr (above) explained: “The city council’s Education, Children and Families meeting that took place on Monday 18th December to recommend grant awards to third sector organisations across the city.
“In the lead up to their meeting the Committee had not published a table of grant awards as they normally do, instead they contacted us on the Monday afternoon to inform us we had been recommended for a “partial award” of 50% of what we applied for, equating to £50,000 per year. We had applied for the maximum capped amount of £100k to fund our work with children and young people.
“This news has come as a huge disappointment, as although we expected a cut from our current annual grant of £175,000 per year, this reduction of £125,000 has been way more than we anticipated and will now seriously impact on the services and supports we offer to the local community, many of whom are already impacted by poverty and related issues affecting their mental health and well-being.”
In an appeal for their support, Willie Barr raised his concerns over the scale of the cut with local MSP Ben Macpherson, MP Deidre Brock and Leith councillors, making them aware of the size of the disinvestment in the Citadel, and the potential implications this could have on local services for local children, young people and their families.
As well as contacting Citadel’s local Leith politicians Willy will also be pressing Council Leader Cammy Day – who was himself once a youth participation worker in North Edinburgh – to rethink the scale of the cut, which is due to come into effect from 1st April.
Organisations were invited to apply for a grant of £10k minimum and £100k maximum per year to one of three funding strands – Learning Outcomes, Health and Wellbeing and Youth Work.
Both NHS Lothian and Police Scotland also contributed funding to the awards.
Eighty nine applications were assessed with total bids totalling £16.7m over three years for an available budget of £10m.
This was carried out by trained assessors before going to a moderation panel consisting of the Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC), Lothian Association of Youth Clubs (LAYC) and an independent chair.
Sixty eight organisations had their bids approved either in full or partially with the new grants programme running from 1 April 2024 through to 31 March 2027.
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Convener for the Education, Children and Families Committee, said when the awards were announced: “The Connected Communities Edinburgh grants programme aims to support vulnerable and disadvantaged young people and their families right across Edinburgh.
“The three different funding strands mean we can direct resources to deliver outcomes that best support those most impacted by poverty.
“This new programme is a really good example of partnership working at its best. We listened to third sector and voluntary organisations about their first-hand knowledge of what the need was in our communities and where funding should be directed.
“Getting to today’s decision has involved a lengthy and really robust assessment process and I want to thank everyone who has contributed. We will of course continue to monitor the progress of the funding over the coming three years to ensure the outcomes promised for our communities are being delivered.”
‘A really good example of partnership working at it’s best? Willie has pointed out concerns over the funding process:
Lack of Transparency:
“In the first instance, the whole process of applying for our grant has been suffered from a lack of transparency and has had a feeling of secrecy about it.
“There has been no consultation with us or the wider sector, similar to what has happened in previous years. Instead, there has been a short briefing opportunity for organisations to attend, facilitated by L.A.Y.C. and E.V.O.C. who have both been paid £120,000 and £100,000 respectively from the grant fund. (No application from them required!)
“Although this is public funds, there is still a refusal to share information about who has been awarded a grant and how much they are recommended to receive. This veil of secrecy surrounding this committee’s business doesn’t feel like an open democratic process.
“If you check the practice of other committees, such as the 5th December Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, which published a full list of agencies recommended (and not) for No One Left Behind funding prior to the meeting (pp106-107)
“By the Committee’s own admission, there has been no impact assessment carried out on their decisions relating to these grant proposals.
Apparently, any impact assessment process will take place once organisations are told the level of their award which seems a bit late to me. What is really lacking is asking for an impact assessment specifically focusing on the implications of withdrawing financial support from organisations in a sudden manner.
“There may be ways the city council could support organisations in a way to avoid drastic service cuts, or even closure, by a graded reduction in funds.
(note that this goes against one of the central recommendations from the Lessons Learned from previous third-party grant processes that “An Equalities and Rights Impact Assessment should be completed prior to the report going to Committee so that Members are able to make decisions that take account of that information and recommendations for action.” (3.26)
Willie concluded: “Our normal activity for everyone at the Citadel at the start of any new year is around planning and positive thoughts about what opportunities lie ahead, but to be honest, I anticipate this decision will have a huge impact on current morale.”
Urging a rethink, local MSP Ben Macpherson appealed to funders ‘to reconsider this drastic and nonsensical sudden cut in funding, which will negatively affect a well-known respected and impactful organisation’.
Leith MP Deidre Brock said: ““I’m very concerned by this news. A funding cut of this size will have profound effects on the ability of the Citadel Youth Centre to continue to provide anything like the level of amazing services and support to vulnerable individuals and families in Leith they provide now.
“I find it shocking there has been no dialogue with any of the organisations involved, no impact assessment of the consequences of this cut in funding and by the wholesale lack of transparency throughout the grant process.
“This will, I greatly fear, have long term impacts and consequences wider than the organisations involved, impacting communities already reeling from Westminster Tory cuts.”
The Spirit of Leithers Facebook page also commented: “We try not to do current affairs too much on the Spirit of Leithers page, but come on CEC – the Citadel Youth Centre has been a Leith institution for decades.
“It is a shocking blow for Leith and many individuals and groups in the community. This project has supported so many Leithers over decades by delivering a superb service and saving the Council significant funding as a result of its preventative and direct work.
“I hope we will hear much more about the thinking behind this and a change of heart from City of Edinburgh Council.”
DEPOSIT RETURN SCHEME: INDUSTRY AND UK GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT SCOTLAND’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS
Environmental campaigners have said that Scotland’s deposit return scheme should be delivered without any more unnecessary delay.
After 5 years of planning, Scotland’s deposit return scheme is due to launch on 16 August 2023. With the UK Government recently announcing its plans for DRS in England and Wales and calls for more clarity from the industry led scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, there have been calls to delay Scottish plans.
The deposit return scheme will work by people paying a 20p deposit when they buy a drink in a single-use container made of plastic, metal or glass. When the containers are returned, this provides a guaranteed source of high-quality materials for recycling.
The scheme also makes sure producers take full financial and environmental responsibility for the proper collection of their packaging. The Scottish Government has engaged with businesses of all sizes and addressed many of their concerns throughout the development of the scheme.
Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme must start on time in August 2023.
“Businesses in Scotland have had five years to prepare for DRS and many of them will already be familiar with how these schemes operate in other countries. It’s time for Circularity Scotland, the industry-led scheme administrator, to deliver the planned DRS to the people of Scotland without delay.
“While it is encouraging that the UK Government has committed to its own scheme, it should not be seeking to slow down environmental progress in the devolved nations. Politicians should be seizing this opportunity to take urgent action to combat waste and move to a more circular economy.
“Suggestions that DRS will cost consumers are irresponsible – like existing deposit return schemes in other countries, it will be simple for customers to claim their 20p deposit back from any shop participating in the scheme.”
Dr Kat Jones, Director of APRS, which has been running the Have You Got The Bottle? campaign since 2014, said: “We have seen the support among the Scottish public for deposit return since the outset of the campaign.
“This scheme works well in other countries where it has reduced the litter we see in our towns and countryside, cut carbon emissions, and resulted in savings for local authorities. However, the scheme has been delayed twice in response to industry foot dragging.
“We are all trying to do our bit to reduce waste, but the onus should be on the large companies creating the issue. Deposit return schemes work to shift responsibility for waste back to the companies creating it and away from the environment and society. We need industry to work with the Scottish Government in order to create a scheme that works for businesses, communities, and the environment.”
Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer for the Marine Conservation Society said: “Scotland’s seas cannot, and should not, be paying the price for our waste.
“Marine Conservation Society volunteers have been picking up cans and bottles for decades on beaches, but we need to put a stop to them getting there in the first place. During last year’s Great British Beach Clean, 93% of Scottish beaches surveyed found drinks-related litter.
“We know Deposit Return Schemes have huge potential to turn the tide on this kind of pollution. Circularity Scotland need to implement the Scheme in August, for the benefit of both people and planet.”
Common Weal and STUC call for pause to National Care Service legislation
Scottish think tank Common Weal, along with the Scottish Trade Union Congress, has launched a joint letter to the First Minister calling for the National Care Service Bill to be paused (writes NICK KEMPE).
Since Common Weal supported calls from the Trade Unions to pause the bill at the beginning of December many other organisations have done the same. Until now, however, smaller organisations have had a limited opportunity to make their views known and there has been very little joint action. The idea behind the letter, which you can read here, is to change that and to show the Scottish Government the degree of concern across Scotland.
The NCS Bill has now been considered by various Committees of the Scottish Parliament and MSPs should now be aware that there is very little enthusiasm or support for it in its current form. The hearings of the Finance and Public Administration Committee received a large amount of media coverage, not least because SNP MSP Michelle Thomson broke ranks and made some scathing comments.
The Committee’s report on the Financial Memorandum accompanying the bill, published at the beginning of December, was highly critical about the absence of costings. It highlighted the absence of costs for the creation of the new service, including VAT liability, transfer of assets and staff and the creation of a health and social care record, as well as the proposal to introduce major policies “via secondary legislation or business cases which cannot be subject to the same in-depth and formal financial scrutiny as Financial Memorandums to bills”.
It called on the Scottish Government to provide the necessary financial details at least two weeks prior to the Stage 1 consideration of the bill in March – giving very little time for any outside organisation to comment/brief MSPs
The majority report published last Friday here from the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee – don’t be put off by the name – added to the concerns about the lack of information and that the Scottish Government is “setting a dangerous precedent, undermining the role of the parliament.” Its reason for concluding this (the two SNP MSPs on the Committee dissented) was:
“The Committee is concerned there is insufficient detail on the face of the Bill and within the Bill documents to allow for meaningful parliamentary scrutiny. Given the far-reaching nature of the proposed reforms the Committee is mindful there is a real risk of letting down those the Bill is intended to help by allowing Scottish Government ministers to use delegated powers instead of primary legislation to introduce core and as yet unknown provisions. The Committee believes the current approach significantly reduces the threshold for parliamentary approval and prevents MSPs from bringing forward detailed amendments”.
Far from increasing democratic control over care services, as we advocated in Caring for All, the NCS Bill is now threatening to undermine democracy, whether at the local level by removing control from local authorities, or at the national level by handing unprecedented powers to Scottish Ministers.
The Scottish Government needs to have a fundamental re-think about what it is proposing and how its engaging with civic society while at the same time secretly working with KPMG to design the Target Operating Model for the NCS. If you are part of an organisation which has a stake in the future of social work and social care in Scotland, please ask them to support the letter. As an individual, please also consider contacting your MSPs asking them to support the call for a pause.
Nick Kempe – Common Weal Care Reform Group
COSLA’s Health and Social Care Spokesperson, @cllrpaulkelly, commented following the release of the letter from @ScottishTUC and signed by a number of organisations which has called for Scottish Government to pause the National Care Service Bill:
A Holyrood Committee has reported it’s dissatisfaction with the lack of information about proposals that could see children’s health and social care services integrated into the proposed National Care Service.
The cross-party Education, Children and Young People Committee have been scrutinising the Scottish Government’s proposals – but they have concluded that it is not possible to form a clear view as to whether children’s services should be included under any future National Care Service.
The Committee expressed concern that much of the detail of any future transfer of children’s services to the National Care Service would be delegated to Ministers, preventing the Parliament from carrying our thorough scrutiny of any changes. Furthermore, the Committee was told that research designed to help inform a decision about whether or not to include children’s health and social care services in the service, will not be ready until September 2023.
The Committee also notes the lack of information regarding the financial implications of bringing children’s services under a National Care Service. Its report urges the Scottish Government to model the cost of different scenarios where children’s services are included and excluded from a National Care Service.
Looking at children and young people’s care more broadly, witnesses told the Committee that existing services need to improve, expressing concern about an implementation gap between policy and the reality of delivering those services.
While some stakeholders spoke positively about the approaches taken in their areas, a range of other issues were identified, including challenges accessing services, poor communication and gatekeeping.
Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, told the Committee, “…there is frustration that we have all the right aspirations and good intentions but what happens is not always what was intended.”
In addition, the report calls on the Government to clarify its plans for letting young people design services at the very earliest stages of work to create a National Care Service. With a large number of children and young people receiving health and social care support, Members of the Committee agreed that it would be helpful to know how the Government plans to meaningfully engage with them.
Sue Webber, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee said:“We would like to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts with us as we scrutinised this Bill.
“The feedback we had has told us that there is not currently enough information about the Bill’s impact on children’s health and social care services for us to form a view about whether this is the right approach for children and young people.
“However, we did hear significant concerns about the way in which these services are operating at present. Therefore, our report asks the Scottish Government to ensure that work on this Bill does not delay the improvements that are needed to children’s services now. Children and young people need to be at the very heart of those discussions.”
Following Thursday’s debate in Scottish Parliament on the future of greyhound racing in Scotland, Owen Sharp, Chief Executive at Dogs Trust said:“We’re really pleased to hear the issue of greyhound racing being debated in the Scottish Parliament and would like to thank Mark Ruskell MSP for lodging the motion.
“Whilst the Scottish Government’s commitment to reviewing the activities of the greyhound industry as part of its upcoming consultation on extending the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations is a step forward, we firmly believe the industry must come to an end. We are concerned that licensing the industry would not be sufficient to protect racing greyhound welfare.
“Greyhound racing in Scotland has been significantly reduced since 2020, and with only one operational track, any phase-out period should be considerably shorter than elsewhere in the UK.
“Just last week, Dogs Trust called for an end to greyhound racing across the UK. While we have worked closely with the greyhound industry for many years to try to improve welfare conditions for the dogs, progress has not been made quickly enough, or on a big enough scale.
“It is simply not acceptable that in Great Britain over 2,000 greyhounds died or were put to sleep over the last four years, with close to 18,000 injuries recorded, all in the name of entertainment.”
On 27th September, three of the UK’s largest animal welfare organisations – Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and the RSPCA – called for greyhound racing to come to an end as soon as possible to put a stop to the unnecessary and completely preventable deaths of hundreds of dogs every year.
In Scotland, there are two greyhound racing tracks, one licensed by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) at Shawfield in Rutherglen and an independent “flapper” track at Thornton in Fife. Shawfield has been non-operational since March 2020, with racing at Thornton considerably reduced.
The charities have, as part of the Greyhound Forum, worked with the greyhound racing industry for many years to try to improve conditions for the dogs involved. While this has led to some improvements, there are still significant welfare issues for racing greyhounds which have not been resolved and cannot be resolved.
This announcement sees the organisations aligned with Scottish SPCA, One Kind, League Against Cruel Sports Scotland and Scotland Against Greyhound Exploitation who have all called for an end to greyhound racing in Scotland.
Greyhound racing is inherently dangerous for the dogs involved. Running at speed around oval tracks causes significant injury to many dogs, and in some cases the injuries are so severe that it is necessary to euthanise the dog.
The GBGB * is the self-regulating organisation that governs licensed greyhound racing in Great Britain. Data from GBGB show that over 2,000 greyhounds died or were put to sleep and nearly 18,000 injuries were recorded from greyhound racing between 2018 and 2021**, with additional dogs injured on independent tracks.
Comprehensive internal reviews conducted by Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and Blue Cross highlighted serious concerns at every stage of a racing greyhound’s life including issues around inadequate welfare standards in kennelling and transporting the dogs.
Some of the dogs used in racing are kept in poor, barren conditions, with little if any enrichment and fed a poor diet. The reviews also highlighted concerns around the general health of the dogs including the number and severity of injuries sustained during racing.
There are also serious issues around the racing of greyhounds in extreme weather and the number of puppies that are unaccounted for between birth and racing registrations, so often referred to by the sector as the “wastage”.
The reviews also found there to be disjointed and ineffective regulation within the sector, a lack of transparency regarding industry practices, and additional concerns around the enforcement of regulatory standards.
There’s also concern around the absence of a sustainable and consistent source of income for the industry which has grossly impacted any meaningful change for the dogs involved. However, even if the considerable finances needed to continue were made available, a complete overhaul of the sport is necessary to ensure it is compatible with good welfare.
Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and Blue Cross want to see an end to greyhound racing announced as soon as possible and expect the phase out across Great Britain to be feasible within five years to allow the racing industry and animal welfare organisations to carefully plan and coordinate the care of the many dogs affected.
In 2021 there were in excess of 18,000 licensed greyhounds eligible to race in GBGB races, with additional greyhounds racing on the independent tracks.
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition,an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, has raised concerns over an increase in the number of pupils identified with additional support needs (ASN) against a backdrop of declining support.
It has also voiced similar concerns over a declining number of those with ASN receiving Co-ordinated Support Plans (CSPs), the only education plans that are legal documents. This is despite a Scottish Government promise there would be no decline in the numbers of those receiving them.
The figures show that the number of pupils with additional support needs (ASN), such as autism, dyslexia and mental health problems in 2021 has reached a record high of 232,753. Of this total 58.0 per cent are boys. This represents 33.0 per cent of the pupil population, rising from 118,034 in 2012, and is a near doubling (97.2 per cent) in numbers from that year.2
The SCSC has also raised concerns at the number of those receiving a CSP.
This is a legal document, the only education plans that are legal documents, requiring services such as education, health and social work to work together to give a child or young person the support they need.
It provides some guarantees of entitlement to additional resources and legal redress, placing statutory duties on local authorities to review and ensure the provisions contained within it are being met.
Despite a Scottish Government promise that there would be no reduction in the proportion of pupils receiving them since their introduction in 2004, there has been a significant fall in the number of pupils with CSPs, from 3,448 in 2012 to 1,420 in 2021, amounting to a drop of 58.9 per cent (publicly funded primary, secondary and special schools). This is a reduction from 2.9 per cent to 0.6 per cent of those with ASN.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “While it is promising that this increase tells us that more young people with ASN are being identified, it is against a worrying background of damaging cuts to services.
“Ensuring the adequate provision of educational support for children and young people with ASN is critical, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the damaging impact this will have on them
“We have major concerns over a lack of resources and specialist staff to support these children and young people. This clearly has an impact not only on the individuals concerned but also on their peers and teachers.
“It is vital that those with ASN get the care and support they need, which is also key if we are to genuinely close the educational attainment gap, as we know that those with ASN are disproportionately drawn from poorer neighbourhoods.
“We are also concerned that we are experiencing a decline in the use of CSPs, which are designed to support those with the most complex needs. This is despite an increase in the numbers of those requiring such support
“As we recover from COVID-19, the Scottish Government and local authorities, along with the private and third sectors, need to work together to provide the necessary resourcing and support to address the needs of these vulnerable children and young people. It must also work with local authorities to ensure that those who require a CSP get it, making parents and carers aware of their legal rights.”
The EIS has also commented on today’s publication of National Improvement Framework (NIF) data, saying that the data confirms the need for greater investment to support education recovery for Scotland’s young people.
The data released today simply confirms what the EIS has been saying for the past year, which teachers have understood instinctively – that the Covid created disruption to learning has affected all pupils to some degree but has disproportionately impacted on children from the most deprived backgrounds.
It is noticeable, also, that children with additional support needs have been impacted in a similar manner – 42% achieving Literacy levels against a national figure of 76% and in Numeracy 53% against a figure of 83%.
Given that more than 1 in 4 pupils in our mainstream schools have additional needs this is an area of significant concern, which the EIS believes the Scottish Government is failing to tackle with sufficient targeted investment.
Commenting on the data, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “We didn’t need publication of this data to know that children from the poorest backgrounds and those with additional support needs were the ones suffering most from the pandemic.
“Schools have prioritised, quite rightly, the well-being of pupils but as we start to look at education recovery from the pattern of disrupted learning, the Scottish Government needs to up its game in terms of investment in our children’s future.
“Recent OECD research (OECD Education at a Glance 2021), for example, has shown that smaller class sizes where there are patterns of multiple deprivation or additional needs help individual pupil recovery but the Scottish Government continues to resist making any progress in this area.
“The Government’s education recovery plan was far too timid in its ambition given the scale of the impact of Covid on the most disadvantaged young people. The simple fact is that pupil recovery will be delayed and diminished if much greater resource isn’t made available to schools.”
TWO surveys by Scotland’s biggest teaching unions have highlighted teachers’ concerns as children return to school this week:
A major study conducted by the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has confirmed that the majority of teachers retain serious concerns about COVID-19 safety measures ahead of the return of pupils to schools from today.
A total of 29,867 teachers took part in the survey. The clear message from the results is that, while teachers support the decision to reopen schools, they remain unconvinced that sufficient measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and the wider school community.
Key data from the final survey results includes:
A total of 29,867 teachers completed the survey from its launch on Tuesday 4 August to the morning of Monday 10 August – the largest survey return we have ever had – with 60% expressing support for the decision to reopen schools but a similar figure, 66%, expressing anxiety and a lack of confidence that sufficient mitigations would be in place.
Only 1 in 5 expressed confidence that schools are currently safe – indicating that much more needs to be done to reassure staff that schools are safe to work in.
53% expressed a lack of confidence that an established capacity to test, trace and isolate is in place to support a safe return, with only 28% of teachers being ‘confident or very confident’ of this.
72% of teachers indicated support for the testing for asymptomatic members of staff to help supress the spread of COVID.
63% expressed support for the mandatory wearing of face coverings by senior pupils in classrooms.
65% indicated that enhanced cleaning regimes would make them feel safer in schools.
Commenting on the findings, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said yesterday: “These findings issue a stark warning to local authorities and the Scottish Government ahead of pupils returning to schools from tomorrow.”
“Our survey findings confirm that, even as they return to schools across the country today, Scotland’s teachers are extremely concerned about the risks associated with potential COVID-19 infection in schools.
“This worry will be particularly acute for the significant percentage of teachers identified as being in an ‘at risk’ category (16% of respondents), as well as those living with a family member who is in a high-risk group.
“There is significant concern amongst all teachers on issues such as the large number of pupils in each class, inability to maintain social distancing, and the need for the wearing of face coverings to ensure safety in some circumstances. These concerns grow more acute based on the age of pupils being taught, with secondary teachers expressing a particularly high level of concern over the potential risks of teaching young adults for long periods of time in an enclosed classroom environment.”
Mr Flanagan continued: “The EIS has consistently said that we support the principle of re-opening schools so that teachers can, once again, offer their full support in a classroom setting for pupils. But we have also been consistent in the demand that schools can only re-open to pupils if this is managed in a way that can assure the safety of those pupils, staff and the wider community.
“The very clear message from these findings is that teachers are far from convinced that all necessary steps have been put in place by the Scottish Government and local authorities to make schools safe. This must be addressed now, with pupils returning this week.”
Mr Flanagan concluded, “The EIS will be sharing the results of our survey with local authorities and the Scottish Government, and continuing talks at national and local level to seek resolutions to the concerns raised by our members.
“It is in everyone’s interests for solutions to be found, to ensure that our schools can operate safely as pupils return to the classroom this week.”
A majority of teachers are returning to schools this week without knowing what safety measures their schools are taking to deal with Coronavirus, an NASUWT survey of Scottish teachers has found.
Teachers have been given little or no time to prepare for the return of their pupils and have in many cases not been given basic information about what measures will be in place to ensure the health and safety of staff and pupils.
The majority (67%) of teachers responding to the NASUWT survey do not feel prepared to return to their school/college and the vast majority (87%) feel anxious about returning to their school when it is reopened to all pupils.
The NASUWT survey found teachers in Scotland have not been given assurances on social distancing or the provision of PPE. The survey also highlighted major concerns around the lack of consultation with teachers, especially staff who are at greatest risk from contracting Coronavirus.
A majority of teachers (57%) had not been informed of new arrangements for their school for Monday/Tuesday and the majority (60%) were not consulted on any arrangements for opening and also a majority (65%) were not consulted on risk assessments.
For those who were in extremely vulnerable groups or had characteristics for whom coronavirus would have a disproportionate effect, (69%) had not had any contact from their employer regarding their individual risk assessment.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “Teachers need to be given the same level of protection as employees in any other workplaces.
“Our survey has highlighted that teachers have not been given assurances that even basic hygiene measures to help supress the virus, such as paper towels and soap and hot water, will be made available to them. This is deeply concerning and must be addressed immediately.
“We have also heard from many cases teachers who have not been told about the safety measures that will be in place to help prevent virus spread.
“The Scottish Government and school employers have a duty to listen to and address teachers safety concerns and take urgent action to ensure that schools reopen safely this term.”
Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said: “The fact that almost half of teachers have told us they don’t feel their school will be a safe environment for pupils to return to should be a major cause for concern.
“The majority of teachers tell us they are anxious about returning but assurances about routine testing in schools and rigorous monitoring systems for Coronavirus will help provide reassurance that everything that can be done to keep schools safe is being done.
“School leaders and staff have been working phenomenally hard in very difficult and uncertain circumstances to ensure that they can safely reopen and many pupils and staff are looking forward to returning to school and college.
“But ministers and school employers must do more to reassure parents and the schools workforce that everything is being done to minimise transmission of the virus and that rigourous safety measures and procedures are in place should any outbreaks occur.”
COSLA PRAISES HEROIC EFFORT AS SCHOOLS PREPARE TO REOPEN
COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson, Councillor Stephen McCabe, and Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Gail Macgregor, said: “As schools across Scotland prepare to welcome pupils back this week, we would like to pay tribute to our school staff teams – cleaners, janitors, catering staff, teachers, support staff and youth workers – their response during the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of heroic.
“They have continued to work quickly and effectively in unprecedented circumstances to support and guide children through home learning, whilst striving to ensure pupils could return to their classrooms in safe and timely manner.
“This has been no easy task, and we thank them for their unwavering efforts and dedication during the most challenging of times over the past five months.
“We’d also like to take this opportunity to recognise the support and patience from parents and carers as we all navigated uncertain times following the closure of schools back in March.
“And lastly, to our children and young people – we have continued to be impressed by your resilience and we are sure your teachers are incredibly proud of your attitude and efforts through this pandemic.
“We hope you enjoy returning to your classrooms with your friends and settle back into the routine quickly.”
Edinburgh’s children begin the return to school tomorrow with a phased return to begin on Wednesday 12 August, with all pupils back full-time from Monday 17 August. There are in-service days on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th (today).
